DISABILITY AND YOU.

The issue of disability is something that concerns you and I. Most times you come across persons with disabilities or you live with them, yet you don’t understand their plight. The society as a whole is not fair on persons with disabilities. I am a living example of treatments meted out on persons with disabilities. Let me share this experience with you, my readers:

When I went to NYSC orientation camp in July 2011, for the three weeks orientation program, I encountered a lot of those challenges we persons with disabilities face in this country. During the parade prior to the opening ceremony, I was sitting down under the tree as usual because of my challenge {I am partially paralyzed}. I cannot stand for long. A soldier came and was ordering people sitting to move to the parade ground and stand. I tried to explain to him my problem but he did not want to hear. He insulted me. Told me that what is somebody like me doing there? I cried. But that was just there, I braced myself up and it only made me stronger. Other people may not be as strong as I am and that will make them to give up on life. This is just one out of several treatments I got.

You as an individual can make a difference. It’s not like we want pity, but we want your encouragement when we decide to struggle for ourselves. We don’t want to beg, we want to be like any other person. A lot of persons with disabilities today, even after going to school and coming out successfully, cannot secure a job to cater for themselves. When an able bodied man and a person with disabilities go for a job interview, trust me, no matter how qualified the person with disabilities is, it is usually very difficult for him to be considered. I have come across such situations personally. Please stop the discrimination and make us feel our effort is worth it. Give us a chance.

The Nigerian government has to help too in sensitizing the society about the plight of persons with disabilities. The government does not want us to go about the streets begging, you have to give us a chance. The society should contribute too. We cannot do it alone.

Thank you all for taking time to read this piece. Hope it will make an impact on you.